Lightweight sandwich armor plating



Jan. 11, 1966 H. RITTER 3,228,361

INVENTOR.

HENRY RITTER ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 11, 1966 3,228,361 LIGHTWEIGHT SANDWICH ARMOR PLATINGHenry Ritter, Nashville, Tenn, assignor to Avco Corporation, Nashville,Tenn, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 1, 1964, Ser. No. 371,686 8Claims. (Cl. 109-84) This invention relates to lightweight armorplating, and more particularly to a collapsible honeycombed orcorrugated armor plate construction in which the honeycomb or corrugatedcells may be filled with sand or other granular material prior to use.

The prior art has provided many armor plating arrangements forpreventing the passage of a projectile. These constructions range fromsandbags, which have proved relatively efifective for limitedapplications, to sophisticated laminated constructions. By and large,the object of each of the constructions is to decrease the penetrativepower of a projectile striking the armor plate by deflecting the courseof the projectile. The major defect in sandbags is that even a smalltear results in a loss of sand, while the major defect of the moreelaborate schemes is excessive weight, primarily during transportation.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an armor platingconstruction having even greater effectiveness in preventing projectilepenetration than the sandbag, and having the advantage over otherarrangements of light weight and minimum volume when not in use or whenbeing transported prior to use.

Another object of this invention is to provide armor plating comprisedof a sandwich of sheet metal plates or reinforced plastic skins with aflexible honeycomb or corrugated core fillable with a granular material,such as sand.

Another object of this invention is to provide armor plating of acellular construction in which the cells are filled with sand, the edgemembers of the sandwich construction being closable to retain the sandwithin the cells during use in an upright position.

Still another object of this invention is to provide armor platingconsisting of two spaced sheet metal or reinforced plastic panels havinga collapsible cellulor core, the cells of the core being fillable withprojectile-resisting material.

For a better understanding and for further objects of this invention,reference should now be made to the following detailed specification inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the armor plating construction provided bythis invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section taken through the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a section taken through the line 3-3 in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view showing the armor plating construction ina semi-collapsed position.

The collapsible armor plate of this invention comprises a rigid verticalrear panel 10, a vertical front panel 12, and vertical side panels 14and 16 hinged together at the vertical edges by means of hinges 18, 20,22, and 24. The top and bottom of the assembled vertical panels areclosable by means of a top panel 26 having a vertical flange 26a andpivoted to the top horizontal edge of front panel 12 by means of a hinge28, and a bottom panel 30 having a vertical flange 30a and pivoted tothe bottom horizontal edge of front panel 12 by means of a hinge 32.When the top and bottom panels 26 and 30 are in the closed position;i.e., when the flanges 26a and 30a abut the rear wall 10, a rigidbox-like structure is formed. However, when the top and bottom panels 26and 30 are pivoted outwardly, as shown in FIGURE 4, the structure thenbecomes collapsible.

The inner side of the front panel 12 is lined with a self-sealing liner34 comprised of any of the suitable wellknown rubber or plasticcompounds used, for example, for lining fuel tanks of military aircraft.Flexible material 36, such as reinforced canvas or other fabric, toprovide additional resistance to projectile travel, is secured bycementing, or by any other suitable means, at various vertical positionsspaced along the rear panel 10 and at various intermediate verticalpositions along the liner 34 of the front wall 12. The material 36 isthus corrugated, or formed into a cellular honeycomb or corrugatedconfiguration, the cells of which are vertically oriented and fillablewith sand 38 or other granular material.

For the purpose of mounting the armor plate on the apparatus to beprotected; for example, on a tank, truck, or other military-typevehicle, or on a shelter, or to form a shelter, holes 40 are provided ineach of the four corners of the rear plate 10 and in the correspondinglocations of the flanges 26a and 30a when in the closed position.

For transporting the armor plate, the apparatus is emptied of sand bysimply removing the bolts securing the bottom flange 30a to the rearpanel ll), thereby permitting the opening of the bottom panel 3|) anddraining the sand from the cells of the honeycombed or corrugatedflexible material 36. To reduce the volume of the thenemptied armorplate, the upper panel 26 may be pivoted from its horizontal position toa vertical position, and the entire structure may be collapsed, thematerial 36 compressing into folds. In this condition, the armor platehas minimum Weight and minimum volume.

For actual use on a military vehicle, the armor plate may be installedwhile empty and then filled with sand or other granular material priorto actual need. In the event that a projectile pierces the front Wall12, only the sand in a cell adjacent the rupture of the front wall ispermitted to escape to the extent not otherwise prevented by theself-sealing action of the liner 34. This is highly advantgeous ascompared with a sandbag which is generally rendered entirely ineffectiveonce it has been ruptured and the sand is permitted to flow from it.

Thus, the armor plate of this invention has the advantages of aconstruction in which the granular material 38 is not removable, and yetretains most of the advantages of the ordinary sandbag which may befilled in the field prior to use.

Although the armor plate is shown as a complete assembly mountable onapparatus to be protected, it is within the purview of this inventionthat the structure illustrated may comprise a permanent part of theapparatus, e.g., the panel 10 may constitute the inner wall of a vehicleto which the remaining panels are hinged. Moreover, while canvas orfabric is illustrated as the material for forming the corrugation, manyother materials are also available; for example, the material may becomprised of hinged sheet metal or it may be comprised of otherbulletproof-type flexible materials which may be secured in a mannersimilar to canvas.

Many other modifications and adaptations will at once become apparent topersons skilled in the art, and it is intended therefore that thisinvention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims asinterpreted in the light of the prior art.

What is claimed is:

1. A laminated armor plate comprising:

first, second, third, and fourth rectangular side panels hinged atadjacent parallel edges to form a collapsible rectangular box-likestructure with two opposing open ends;

a collapsible cellular structure having non-communicating cells, saidcellular structure being secured to two opposing side panels interior ofsaid box-like structure, said cellular structure being collapsible withsaid box-like structure and the cells thereof being oriented in thedirection of the open ends; and

means for closing the open ends of said box-like structure, said cellsbeing fillable with granular material prior to closing one of said openends.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein one of said first,second, third, and fourth side panels is a front side panel, and whereinthe interior of said front side panel is lined with a self-sealingliner.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said open ends are closedby means of fifth and sixth rectangular panels hinged to opposite edgesof said front panel.

The invention as'defined'in' claim S'Whereinsaid front panel is in avertical plane, and wherein said fifth and sixth panels are top andbottom panels, respectively.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein the panel opposite saidfront panel is a rear panel; and wherein said top and bottom panels areprovided with vertical flanges abutting said rear panel when in a closedposition.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said granules are sand.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 787,065 4/ 1905White. 2,348,130 5/1944 Hardy 109-34 2,512,522 6/1950 Denny 22062,550,830 5/1951 lav/is et al ll 22'0-6 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,042,430 10/1958 Germany.

20 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Examiner.

L. J. SANTISI, Assistant Examiner.

1. A LAMINATED ARMOR PLATE COMPRISING: FIRST, SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTHRECTANGULAR SIDE PANELS HINGED AT ADJACENT PARALLEL EDGES TO FORM ACOLLAPSIBLE RECTANGULAR BOX-LIKE STRUCTURE WITH TWO OPPOSING OPEN ENDS;A COLLAPSIBLE CELLULAR STRUCTURE HAVING NON-COMMUNICATING CELLS, SAIDCELLULAR STRUCTURE BEING SECURED TO TWO OPPOSING SIDE PANELS INTERIOR OFSAID BOX-LIKE STRUCTURE, SAID CELLULAR STRUCTURE BEING COLLAPSIBLE WITHSAID BOX-LIKE STRUCTURE AND THE CELLS THEREOF BEING ORIENTED IN THEDIRECTION OF THE OPEN ENDS; AND MEANS FOR CLOSING THE OPEN ENDS OF SAIDBOX-LIKE STRUCTURE, SAID CELLS BEING FILLABLE WITH GRANULAR MATERIALPRIOR TO CLOSING ONE OF SAID OPEN ENDS.